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You need to be able to describe the characteristics of TNCs and the advantages and disadvantages of them to the countries they have their factories in.

  • Trans-National Corporations (TNCs): a corporation or enterpirse that operates in more than one country
  • Multiplier effect: where initial investment and jobs lead to a knock-on effect, creating further jobs and providing money to generate services
  • Leakage: where profits made by the company are taken out of the country to the country of origin and so do not benefit the host country

The characteristics of TNCs:
· Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are large wealthy corporations
· They are companies that have their headquarters in one country
· They often have factories and other branches spread all over the world
· Most TNCs have their headquarters in richer areas of the world
· Research and Development usually takes place in the richer country
· Production of goods usually takes place in poorer areas

The advantages of TNCs

· Can develop mineral wealth and improve energy production
· TNCs can invest in big projects like dams to provide HEP
· The money earned by local people goes into the local economy – multiplier effect
· Local peoples education and skills can be improved
· Local infrastructure such as road and airports can be improved

The disadvantages of TNCs

· Local people may be paid low wages
· Few of the managers are local people
· Most of the profits go abroad – Leakage
· They can cause pollution – air and water due to lower regulation
· Most of the minerals extracted are exported
· TNCs might pull out with little warning – recession
· Poor working conditions – long hours with little time for breaks
· Safety can be compromised where laws are less stringent and workers’ health can be jeopardised

Toyota Factfile
  • Toyota was set up in 1937
  • Its headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan
  • It has 250,000 workers employed in 26 countries
  • It has factories inRussia, India, South Africa, Brazill and Mexico